Carry On "Standing Tall" at Ortega Landing

It's hard to believe that we've been here for two and a half weeks already, but we've been preoccupied by a few things—Paul's surgery, his recuperation and preparing the boat for a showing after two weeks in a dirty boatyard and a salty offshore passage. Paul's surgery went well and he's well on the road to recovery, and the boat looked beautiful for its showing. I worked very hard, cleaning for quite a few days, and was starting to complain about my daily drudge. The showing went well and our prospects commented that it was the cleanest boat they had ever seen. I think they meant that as a compliment, but I wasn't quite sure whether to feel proud or embarrassed!

Living Aboard, Miami River

We've started poking around Jacksonville's attractions again, but more on that next time as we have a guided tour of downtown planned for next week, as well as the art museum and gardens. For a while now, I've been saving photos of boats that catch our attention for some reason other beyond the usual "that's a nice boat"—sometimes because they are so huge and over the top, sometimes because they are so derelict. Most I've taken in Florida waters.

It's kind of a rainy day file and since today seems to be full of passing showers, it seems like a good day to share these pics. 

The Miami River, where Spencer Boat is located, is lined with funky crab and lobster (of the spiny variety) shacks, as well as a some kind of charming hippy looking houses set on the river. This boat had that same look—though it didn't exactly look seaworthy, it had a certain Bohemian appeal. 

Just Open the Hull

Here's a huge boat that we saw somewhere in the Palm Beach area on the ICW. It's so big that the tender is stored in the hull—and we're sure it was at least a 30 ft high speed motor boat. 

We wonder how many days a year a year it's used!

Helipad on Top

Here's another favorite. We've seen this boat a few times as we make our way up and down the ICW. Check out the helicopter on the aft upper deck—great for a quick getaway!

That's all for now, but one of the joys of traveling the waterway is the sight seeing!

Back in JAX

Ready to Splash!

A Tight Fit

Phew. Seems hard to believe that we arrived back here in Jacksonville last Sunday morning. After living on board Carry On on the paved lot of Spencer Boat for 16 days, we finally splashed down Friday, a week ago, at exactly 10:30 am, the time promised by Mike, the yard manager. We'd been watching the weather, knowing we needed to get moving to be back up here by April 9 for Paul's surgery scheduled for April 10. The weather window looked perfect for an off shore trip, so at 3 pm the same afternoon we took off for at least Ft Pierce, maybe Port Canaveral if the crew was happy, and maybe even Jacksonville. By evening we committed to go for the whole enchilada— conditions were nearly ideal, we all felt well and rested, and even Bubba, after an initial glitch, seemed as if he'd been at sea for weeks already.
We were moving along quickly, with the Gulf Stream pushing us at well over 10 knots up the Florida coast, at one point 75 miles off shore. Well worth the ride to the east and back in at the other end of the trip.

We took turns on watch, both getting a few hours of sleep at a stretch, both of us feeling good that we were avoiding days on the ICW, navigating over 4 dozen bridges and endless manatee and no wake zones. All was fine until late Saturday morning when the seas and wind began to kick up. Time to drop the paravanes overboard. Our practice is to deploy our outriggers before an off shore passage, so even with the confused seas, it is fairly easy to drop the paravanes off each side—and we could immediately feel the roll relief.

Unfortunately for us, the conditions continued to deteriorate as a large squall sat over us, pounding us for  several hours Saturday afternoon. Finally it cleared and we heard warnings for dangerous squalls over a large portion of the eastern coastal waters—yes, another one on its way. Luckily, this time, we were just south of the storm and it passed us by with just rain and wind. The rest of the night was calm and even starry as we approached Jacksonville. We were surprised by the amount of commercial traffic coming out of the port of Jacksonville early on a Sunday morning, as we had been by the traffic we saw all during the night Friday near Miami, including at least half a dozen cruise ships, and thankful, once again, for our AIS (Automatic Identification System).

We were disappointed to see that the Ortega River Bridge work was still not finished and once again had only one span open. We've gone through it twice before and the narrowness does give the skipper pause. We passed through easily and managed to rouse friends on the dock, who finally emerged to help tie us up. We were/are very happy to be here and have rapidly settled back in to our old neighborhood!

You've probably guessed already that our SPOT ran out of batteries about mid trip and you would be right. So rest assured, we are not still floating off Titusville, and when new batteries arrive from Amazon, you'll see us right here at the Marina at Ortega Landing—literally. We were here long enough over the winter that Carry On's image is on Google Earth, which feels like some kind of achievement. We're actually in a different slip at the end of the dock, where we're enjoying views of the Ortega River.

Matters of Perspective

Yacht Stargazer

We're still here in Miami, but since my last blog we've moved down to a shipyard on the Miami River to have our decks painted. We're only a little south and west of our old marina, but we're quite close to Little Havana  and it feels like a world away. I'm very conscious of my inability to say anything more than hello and thank you in Spanish, but so far I've managed the laundromat and its unique card system, as well as the deli counter at the nearby, brand new Winn-Dixie.

Yacht Turquoise

I had planned to blog this week about all the interesting, funky little restaurants recommended by the yard office people that we had planned to try during our stay here. But after our first outing, and it was actually a very nice evening, to the local BP station with its surprising wine department and restaurant, we both woke up in the middle of the night with food poisoning. The next several days are best not talked about, but let me just say they put a damper on our enthusiasm for funky little places. We finally put ourselves on the road to recovery with the BRAT diet—that's bananas, rice, applesauce and toast—and it was amazing how good those plain, simple, real, things tasted after the jello, coca cola and chicken broth. It's all a matter of perspective and I think it's been a hard reset for both of us on how we'll eat in the future. Hopefully less sugar and less salt and maybe fat, although we really aren't terrible in any of those categories. 

So—this week I'm opting not to blog about food, but about boats—really big boats, or yachts, with whom we're sharing space and services here. When we first came down to check the yard out, Stargazer was in the shed and we were were told that she is a 60 year old yacht originally built in Louisiana for Henry Ford. She's a beautiful yacht, 180 ft overall, and seems to be having a fairly major renovation. My photo here is an actually an image from web, as Stargazer's berth is dim and she's simply too long for my camera.

Yacht B.B. Sea

On the other side of the design equation is another 180 ft yacht, Turquoise, built recently by a shipyard in Turkey. She came in after we did, was here about a week and off-loaded contents into two pods. She's already left for a larger shipyard up the river, where she'll be hauled and have her bottom done, before returning here for the rest of her work. Whether you are interested in this style of boat, or not, you still may be interested in the Proteksan Turquoise, the builder's website, where you can see the interior of Turquoise under "Yachts in the Water".

In the other bay of the paint shed is a beautiful, smaller yacht, B.B. Sea, built  in 1963 by Trumpy.  The paint shed is quite dim and the glare from the light at the open end didn't help my photography, but this is a lovely classic yacht, and looks beautifully maintained. We're wondering why she's here and what she's having done.

Jamaican Coast Guard Cutter

Across the river is a Jamaican Coast Guard Cutter, in for a scheduled overhaul. It has a crew of 22, 5 more than usual, and as I've had to share my otherwise exclusive Women's shower and restroom with them, I've learned that they are all volunteers and that this is considered a plum job. While they're in the States, the crew loads up on duty free goods to take back home to family and friends. Space is apparently very tight on board, but I have been less than thrilled to compete with the parade of men in and out of the ladies room from 6 pm to 10 pm nightly, despite the edict not to use the women's facilities. I know they're not thrilled with me either, and in the last couple of days, I have conceded defeat.

Reported "off station" (note Morris 34 on right)

What looks like a huge navigation aid is being refurbished here and tickles Paul's sense of humor—note his caption. It belongs off Tavernier Key and contains compressors and other support gear for the diving operations of the University of North Carolina's marine research program. 

There are lots of different size boats here, but we have been joking about feeling like a peanut. We generally feel like we're a smaller boat when we're in Florida, but here even more so. On the contrary, when we're in Maine, we feel like a bigger boat and when we're in Canada, where boats our size are uncommon, we feel even bigger. Again, it's all a matter of perspective!

A Warm and Short Winter

Settling In, Cat Fashion

We really had a good time in Sarasota, and spending time with our friends in Siesta Key, the beautiful southern portion of the barrier island in the Gulf off Sarasota. Because we had Bubba with us, we weren't able to take them up on their offer of lodging, so instead we wracked up points at our pet-friendly hotel. Bubba loved the big beds and all the extra pillows-- the better for hiding a small animal! What he never enjoys is that we were away for most of the days, and out for breakfast and dinner besides.

Me and My Pink, No-Gear Bike

Our friends recommended a bike ride on one of the area's paved trails and with only a little arm twisting, I was able to convince Paul it would be fun. We opted for the 10 mile round trip on the Legacy Trail, heading south towards Venice, with an incentive of lunch there.


It was a fairly warm and windy day and we were ready for a break by the time we reached Venice, which was very noticeably populated by older people than we've seen anywhere else in Florida. The trip back was easier and despite our distance being more like 14 miles, we all had a great time. I can't speak for my spouse, but I'm ready to ride bikes again.

One of the things I always enjoy about our marina here is the occasional visit by manatees. One recent afternoon we spent a half hour being amused by a group of five manatees, including a couple who were well over 7 feet long. They were feeding on the long grass that washes in across Biscayne Bay when the winds are from the east. Paul's photos don't quite capture their peculiar noses-- and manatees don't make photography simple, but I think you'll get the idea.

Marina Mascots

The week after we were in Sarasota, we had visitors from home, escaping the not so cold winter in New Hampshire. It's always fun to have guests, and I particularly enjoy having female company, especially an old friend with whom I go way back.

We did some leisurely sight-seeing, including a visit to the Deering Estate in Cutler, once the site of the only inn between Miami and Key West. Despite it being a very warm, almost hot day in town, the estate on Biscayne Bay near Coral Gables was cool and breezy. We took a nature walk, enjoyed the more planned landscaping-- and truly enjoyed the rockers on the back porch overlooking the water.

Stone House, Deering Estate

The buildings at the estate were much simpler than the grand mansion, Vizcaya, built by James Deering, the half brother of the environmentalist and art collector, Charles Deering, who developed this estate. But it was easy to imagine the rooms filled with art, as they frequently are when used for local shows. The building did include one memorable feature, a porch ceiling which had been decorated by pressing shells, sand dollars, star fish and even sea weeds into the wet plaster. (Thanks to my friend for the photo.)

Shell Ceiling, Stone House

We also made a pilgrimage walking down Ocean Drive in South Beach, admiring the beautifully restored Art Deco hotels and taking full advantage of the amazing people watching opportunities.

It was a quick visit-- and now we're home alone again and our time in Miami is growing short. It's been a quick and a warm winter here and we're beginning to make lists of things we think we want or need to get done here. Then we'll start up the waterway again towards Jacksonville, where we'll spend a few weeks--  before heading seriously north.

Around Our Neighborhood

Coppertone Girl

Once again it seems like I'm way behind in my blogging efforts and so, while we are actually in Sarasota this week, what I really want to write about is our neighborhood in Miami.

One of the things we enjoy about Florida is the architecture. Some of it is historic and very good, some is way out in terms of form and color, and while we may not love it all, it is almost never boring. I've collected a few photos of some of my favorite buildings around our marina -- all places I see on my daily walks.

The Vagabond Motel

I may have mentioned before that our marina is in a section of Miami dubbed MiMO, for Miami Modern. It's the style of the 50's and I'm sure at least some of you remember the famous Coppertone ad at right, which is right at the end of our quiet
tree lined street on Biscayne Boulevard-- Route 1--a busy main thoroughfare. The area was built up during the 50's, with many Modern style hotels which have since fallen into disrepair. A few are boarded up, some have been renovated to a degree, and many continue to operate as is. Many of them are architecturally interesting, but mostly they are not the kind of places where you'd book your mother's next visit. To see what I mean, check the blog archives, the February 26, 2011 posting, for a photo of the offerings at Wishes Motel.

On the side streets where I prefer to walk, away from the traffic on Biscayne Boulevard, are small houses built in the same period. Many have been renovated, the landscaping is well established and lush, and the neighborhood is quite vibrant.

Biscayne Boulevard Building

There are many restaurants which are walkable from the marina, some small and funky and others with high Zagat ratings. Just south of us down Biscayne is the Design District, a fairly new designation as Miami's art and design sectors have burgeoned in recent years. It's a car ride away, but there are many more wonderful restaurants there. It's quite a luxury to have so many choices in such close range!

As I mentioned earlier, we're in Sarasota this week. We drove up on Tuesday to visit old friends from Marblehead who are staying in nearby Siesta Key for a couple of months. We are leaving Saturday-- after the Farmers Market, which our friends say is a good one. 

Sarasota Deco!

We've really enjoyed Sarasota so far-- and I'll write more about that later, but I do want to share just one photo from here, which is another wonderful building we happened upon while exploring the other day.

That's all my photos for today and just a taste of what's around us when we venture out for a walk!

Hanging Out in Miami

Our Dolphin Escorts

We arrived in Miami a busy three weeks ago today, and at last I feel as if I have a catch up day. After hearing dire reports about the marina here that we loved so much last winter, we were prepared to stay only a couple of days on either side of my sister's visit, then perhaps explore the west coast of FL. We were delighted to find the situation here to be much improved-- so much in fact that after only a couple of hours in our slip, we upgraded our stay to two months!

We had a great visit with my sis. We did some of the usual tourist things, including a perfect weather day in the Everglades, hoping to get a few life birds added to Marianne's list. We only saw two species that counted, but many of each of them-- Anhingas and Roseate Spoonbills) and many, many alligators and wading birds.

Everglades "Dry Hole"

The week she was with us went by quickly and afterwords we immediately set ourselves to working on Carry On. We decided a few months ago that it was time to put Carry On up for sale and re-establish ourselves on land again, with a smaller boat for summers in Maine. We think this process may take a while and while we are still very happy living aboard, it's time to take that first step. So late last week, Carry On made her official debut on the market in Ft Lauderdale. She was scrubbed and polished, sanded and painted and varnished and looking lovely. We're sure in time that she will attract a buyer who will love her as much as we have.

The Joys of Ft Lauderdale!

After four days off Carry On, in a "pet-friendly" hotel in Ft Lauderdale, we were very happy to move back on board again and make our way back to Miami, to our little marina with its gym, pool and manatees and last but not least, our friends from last year. There were some high points in FTL-- dinner with our delivery captain friends, a new crown for Paul (this one for his molar) and a trip to Skyline Chili. You can take a boy away from Cincinnati, but you can't take away his Cincinnati chili!

We are in a serious regrouping mode at the moment. We have been so busy throughout the fall and into this year and feeling rather stressed. Now it's time to focus on taking good care of ourselves, exercising and eating better, as well as relaxing and just enjoying the area. And there is much to do here-- good restaurants, opportunities for theater and concerts as well as museums and movies, and exploring the different neighborhoods-- not to mention reading all the books we've been ordering.

I know the time will go fast-- it always does-- and all too soon it will be time to think about heading north again.

Happy New Year!

Early Morning Underway

We're on the move again-- finally-- and heading south towards our next destination of Miami where my sister will meet us for a week's visit. It was hard to tear ourselves away from our dock in Jacksonville, as we had such a good time there, but after a round of hugs, our friends untied our lines and we set off this past Tuesday.

We also got a lot done while in JAX, most importantly, making progress toward a diagnosis and appropriate therapy for Paul's chest discomfort. He's wearing a cell phone activated heart monitor for three weeks, with only about a week left now. So hopefully we can close this round of tests and consultations successfully.

Waiting our turn at the Bridge of Lions, St Augustine

But it is good to be underway again, despite the long days that we've been pushing to do. There is the joy of seeing the sun come up when we've been motoring in the dark and the pleasure of making the first bridge opening of the day, along with the shrimpers!

We're planning a couple of stopovers-- one to see an old friend from my first job in Boston and her husband in Palm Beach Gardens and the other to see Scotty for a few odds and ends that need looking after.

We just anchored off the ICW at Fort Pierce and still need to put the dinghy in the water before we clean up for the evening. We're planning to arrive at the Farmers Market opening at 8 am tomorrow morning (breakfast anyone?) and I'm expecting it to be a chilly ride across the ICW. But we're almost in South Florida-- we've been seeing the signs the last few days. More palm trees and mangrove swamps, White Pelicans (as opposed to the usual Brown), a lone Roseate Spoonbill two days ago hanging out with a group of Pelicans, the lone harbinger of the flock of bright pink birds I would see the next day in the same place I saw them two years ago in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Reserve near NASA. Unfortunately, once again they were too far away to catch a photo.

We had a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration 13 days ago, but the new year still feels new to me, so I'll wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful year and hope we see you sometime in 2012!